1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to the field of cigarettes and automatic cigarette making machines and processes, and more particularly to an improved cigarette which is self-extinguishing, and to an improvement to cigarette making machines and processes enabling the mass production of self-extinguishing cigarettes.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has long been recognized that cigarettes are dangerous articles due to the poisonous and carcinogenic fumes they emit, and due to the fire hazard they present when carelessly discarded. Consequently, the related art includes a variety of proposals for diminishing one or the other, or both, of these dangers.
One approach is to provide some means for preventing a cigarette from being smoked beyond a certain minimum butt length. A simple solution is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,587, issued Mar. 16, 1982 to Moser, wherein spaced visual indicia are provided on the cigarette body marking the point at which the cigarette should be discarded. More positively effective means for halting burning of the cigarette at a selected point are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,013,508, issued Sept. 3, 1935 to Seaman, and 3,913,590, issued Oct. 21, 1975 to Sway. Seaman provides a fire retarding band on the cigarette wrapper at one-half to three-quarters the length of the cigarette. The band is formulated to extinguish the cigarette at that point, if it has been discarded. If one continues to draw on the cigarette, however, it will continue burning beyond the band. Sway provides his cigarette with a nonflammable porous barrier comprised of a plug of diatomaceous earth, permitting free passage of smoke therethrough, but preventing combustion beyond the porous barrier.
Cigarette making machines configured to produce self-extinguishing cigarettes are also shown in the related art, examples being U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,999,223 to Weinberger, and 1,999,224 to Miles, both issued Apr. 30, 1935. Both of these patents describe machines directed toward providing the cigarette wrapping paper, immediately prior to the tobacco-filling and cigarette rolling operation, with a transversely oriented coating of agglutinating substance, to which particles of the tobacco adhere during the filling operation to provide in the finished cigarette an annular, combustion-retarding band of tobacco particles.